Thursday, January 31, 2008

SO... this head cold is really getting me down. But it has allowed me the time to create a little diddy for my friend Shelly.

Tracy actually was the inspiration for this little coffee book. She had one casually lying on the table as we came in. I, of course, sprinted toward the little scrapbooking bit of joy. It is a little gift-card holder friendship book made out of -- get this -- a coffee sleeve! How cool is that?

I simply cut the sleeve open and used it as a pattern to cut colored paper to cover the top (and disguise the logo on the sleeve). I also cut inside pages and decorated them with ribbons and stickers. The last page of the book, on the inside back cover, is simply a folded piece of paper that I attached with a dimensional dot. The dimension allows the gift card to simply slide right in!

What a fun way to invite my friend to coffee! (If you're reading this, Shelly, await a hand-delivered message from your husband this evening!)

Sunday, January 27, 2008

I have been knitting! Not as much as I would like, obviously, and I feel like I am not making much progress.

In the process of going through my knitting stuff, I encountered a lovely mohair/silk scarf I started knitting around a year and a half ago. I recall being driven crazy by not being able to see what was a knit and what was a purl due to the nature of the fuzzy thin yarn, and I eventually lost interest.

I've pulled it out again, and am dealing better with the visual thing, and am almost done. This little skein of Artfibers Tsuki is lasting forever, though, and I feel like I knit forever and nothing changes. Logically I know I will finish eventually.

Here is the up close--

As I mentioned before, I have started a lace project, this time the Swallowtail Shawl from Interweave Fall 2006. I have been wanting to do this one, and since I found the magazine, it made it much easier to start (no snickers, please).

This one is not going very well. It seems like the simple lace pattern in the beginning is driving me crazy. I guess I am out of lace practice. I am plugging away, but not very quickly.

I am afraid of starting another project, although I'm dying to start a sock. I know my brain can only handle keeping two projects going or I am sure to mix them up and disaster will strike. So I will keep my tortoise pace going until one gets finished.

On the exciting front, I have received my Stitches packet, and am looking forward to going more than I can put into words. I really need a break from things around here. There is going to be a Ravelry meet-up, and I am going to connect with a few people I met last year.

Monday, January 21, 2008

I have been knitting and I have been crafting. Unfortunately, my dear sweet husband took my camera on a business trip, leaving me with nothing to show my blog.

Here you see a Valentine button tree made for our upcoming Good Things project. I got the idea from this blog: http://mamanjackjack.blogspot.com/2006/11/button-button.html . It was easy, and collecting the buttons/pins was by far the hardest part.

On the knitting side, I have started a Swallowtail shawl, and am finishing up a long ago forgotten mohairy scarf.

Since the camera came back from the trip sort of smooshed, photos of the knitting will have to wait. Coming soon!

Tuesday, January 01, 2008

First up, let's greet this year's first finished object, the Tilted Blocks Scarf from the new book Knitting New Scarves:

Made from three lovely colors of Uruguay Chunky, an alpaca, merino, and silk blend chunky yarn that is very soft and smooshy. Loved it!

There are benefits to having your yarn stash sprawled out on the dining room table, instant access for a quickie. I started this yesterday on a whim, and finished it today. Lots of quick fun, except when it came to weaving the ends.

Wonder how long I can get away with leaving the yarn out?

You know you are a process knitter when you run across two scarves that are done except for the ends woven in. One even had that done, but it wasn't trimmed. Must have misplaced the scissors. Anyway, I won't claim those as FO #2 or 3. Those are just bonus.

I managed to make 12 pair of socks in 2007, plus 3 orphans. I may finish those up and claim them as 2008 pair, I'm only human. To see a cute photo of all of them, look here. I can't seem to upload it to Blogger without getting it all distorted. I'll keep trying.